Improvement in stamp-canceling devices



c. c. summon. STAMP-CANCELING DEVICE. 1e4,s4s.

Pafpented Aug. 21,1877.

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N-PETERS. FHQTp-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHING UNITED STATES PATENT OE IcE.

O. CALVERT EGEBTON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS OF HIS RIGHT TO WALTER S. RICHMOND AND HERBERT RIGH- MOND, OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN STAMP-CANCELING DEVICES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,343, dated August 21, 1877 application filed July 10, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O. CALVERT EGERTON, of the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Gancelin g Devices; and I hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows:

This device relates to means for effecting the cancellation of the revenue-stamps attached to barrels and casks containing alcoholic spirits; and it consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of my device; Fig. 2, a bottom view of the same, a part being removed in order to better illustrate the internal construction; Fig. 3, the portion removed; Fig. 4, a sectional view of a portion of the device; Fig. 5, a similar view of a modification of the same.

A represents the body of the stamp-canceler, which is preferably a casting of brass or iron, and is provided with tangs a a for abrading the stamp.

Through the center of the canceler passes a screw, B, which turns readily in one direc' tion, but is firmly griped when the attempt is made to unscrew it. The mechanism for efl'ecting this is illustrated in Fig. 2, and consists of a pair of disks, 0 G, which are provided with teeth 0 e, and are countersunk in the body of the canceler A. Small springs 11 d, preferably of rubber, tendto keep the disks in the position shown in the drawings, and a metal plate, 0, serves to keep all in place, being'let into the countersunk portion of the piece A.

In order to use the device the canceler is placed upon the stamp, one of the acute angles of the canceler covering the head-bung of the cask. The screw B is then driven home, whereby the tangs a a are embedded in the head of the cask, of course perforating the stamp.

It is obvious that upon the attempt being made to unscrew the screw B the disks 0 G defeat it. They will revolve readily to a sufficient extent to carry their teeth within the body of the canceler A, while the screw B is being turned to the right. Reverse motion of the screw is, however, impossible, as the teeth 0 0 immediately bite into the shank of the screw and retain it. It is impossible, therefore, to get access to the bung without causing the canceler A to revolve, in which case its tangs a a abrade the stamp to such an extent that its reuse is impossible.

In using the device as just described a wood-screw is made use of; but inasmuch as such screws may be pried directly out of the wood, I prefer to employ a metal screw, and make use of the device illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. This consists of a nut,

E, attached in any convenient manner to the head of the cask. Preferably the nut is deeply threaded on the outside, and is screwed into the cask by means of a suitable spanner in serced in the holes ff. Rivets are subsequently driven therethrough to prevent the unscrewing of the nut E.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The canceler A, having tangs a, in combination with the disks 0 and screw B, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the canceler A, the disks 0, having springs d and teeth 0, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the canceler A, having disks ,0, the screw B and nut E, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the nut E, threaded externally, and having holes ff, the canceler A and screw B, substantially as described. 0. CALVERT EGERTON. Witnesses:

R. D. WILLIAMS, W. A. BERTBAM. 

